


Martyrdom

by ironiccowboykink



Series: everything is [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Death, Galra Empire, I hate the computer I have 2 type this on, Keith angst, Keith is sad and angry, Martyrs, Other, Paladin Complex(?), destruction of planets, id rather kill myself than use it more than I have to
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-22
Updated: 2017-05-22
Packaged: 2018-11-03 16:58:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10971495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ironiccowboykink/pseuds/ironiccowboykink
Summary: Keith isvery very tiredof people dying for him.





	Martyrdom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another one bites the dust.

Keith is _very very tired_ of people dying for him.

There's always a common theme. "You're a _Paladin of Voltron,"_

"You serve a greater _purpose than me."_

"You're more _important than me."_

It is so fucking _awful._ Keith is not more important than anyone else. So what if he's a fucking paladin? These people — the people he's _fighting for_ — matter just as much as he does. Why should people have to die just because he's a damn-

"Paladin!"

He snaps back to reality, his arm burning from how far he's stretched it. "Grab my hand!" Keith screams, urging himself to move just a little bit farther, just a little bit _closer._ "I can reach you! Please!” He doesn’t even _know_ this person, whoever they are. But he can reach them, he can almost _reach_ them, they’re so close and he’s right there, just, just - just grab his hand! Keith is almost sobbing, but he can’t cry, not now, not when they’re _so fucking close--_

The ground crumbles. Black eyes blink up at him. “Let me go, Red Paladin!” The words are pitched high with fear and Keith just _knows,_ he knows this alien doesn’t want to die and they’re putting on a brave face. “Don’t be a _fucking_ martyr!” Keith screams, but he sees the alien doesn’t quite understand what he says and just shakes their head, waves their feelers, sobs as they cling desperately. “I can- I can save you, damn it! What’s your name?”

“You serve,” the alien begins, ignoring his question, and Keith knows where this is going. “a greater purpose than I! Do not fall, Paladin of Red!”

Earth slips between the Keith and the alien’s fingertips.

They both fall anyway, but... Keith is the only one who can fly.

He stares. Stares at the darkness that engulfed whoever that was. (Is.) Was. Hovers there a second too long, his jetpack sputtering, protesting its need to recharge. The Red Paladin soars for solid ground, scrambles when he hits it too fast, too hard, wheezing when all the wind is knocked out of him. His gloved fingers feel stiff and broken and sweaty. They aren’t catching in grooves in the dirt. They aren't _catching, fuck,_ they aren't catching, oh, oh God. Will- will Keith die here too? Fuck, _fuck-_ Right before he tumbles down to wherever that alien fell he whips his knife in the dirt, knicks his hand. Keith grits his teeth but doesn’t scream, hoists himself out of the crumbling crater. 

He breathes there, heaves, pushes air into his lungs so much it hurts. He cries there, sobs, crumples his hands into a fist, listens to the sounds of destruction and the material of the suit moving around his fingers. He stands. Runs his thumb across his ripped suit where he bleeds red. Red, like his suit. Red, like everything else. He runs his thumb across his knife. The wrong person's blood is there. The pitch of the sky around him dotted with stars looks like little eyes, the little eyes of the alien he couldn’t even save. What kind of Paladin is he?

A shot of purple grazes his side, and this time Keith _does_ scream, deep and guttural and _hurt._ He can’t pause now, can’t think now. Later, later, later he'll reflect on this. Not- not now. He's being shot at and there's people to save.  


Keith leaps back into the fray.

**Author's Note:**

> I keep thinking about this but I don't remember why. Anyway i specialize in angst


End file.
